Promising Horizons
by BlackMagic13
Summary: What was expected to be a relaxing afternoon becomes horror for Legolas and Estel while racing for their lives and against time, can they defy the odds of survival against them? first fanfic, please review


**Promising Horizons**

**_"Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts." -Aristotle_**

**A/N**: This is a Legolas-Estel story, assuming that Legolas knew Aragorn as a child. It's a ficlet so don't expect thirty million chapters-just a few. I **always appreciate reviews** and constructive criticism is fine, just if you're going to spam me or be a jerk, don't bother, I'm not worth your time.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own lord of the rings. Short and sweet.

_**"Fight til the last gasp." -William Shakespeare**_

* * *

_A child with tearstained cheeks crouched silently in the shadows. Beside him lay a still body. The child was shaking and his eyes were wide with fright as he stared at a demon that only he could see. Suddenly an inhuman scream pierced the air and the scene faded into pool of blackness…_

Lord Elrond of Rivendell jerked so suddenly upwards that his knee banged against the table he was seated at with a resounding jolt. His breath came in short gasps and his hand instinctively pressed against the side of his temple as he struggled to control his breathing. As his heart rate slowed and the pain in his knee intensified, he raised his head and gazed out the window directly in front of him.

It was evening and darkness was beginning to envelope the land. Soft rain was pattering against the glass of the window. His thoughts returned to the vision. Even though he hadn't clearly seen the boy's face, the child had looked all too familiar…

"Elrond?"

Elrond barely raised his head as Glorfindel, his trustworthy friend, supporter and adviser entered the room quickly.

"What happened? I heard a noise…"

Elrond stood, pushed his chair back and left his cold, untouched food remaining on the table.

"Where is Estel?"

Glorfindel didn't flinch under the elf lord's piercing gaze as most would have. "I haven't seen him today."

Elrond inwardly cringed as he tried to fight the horror rising to the surface of his heart. "He's in danger."

Glorfindel's face fell, as he loved the human boy dearly as well. "Was it your foresight?"

"Yes or it's happening now," Elrond muttered. The person lying beside Estel drifted hazily back into his thoughts like a leaf floating on the surface of water, bringing another wave of dread over the elven lord. He sincerely hoped that it wasn't who he suspected it could be. Right now, he needed to find the twins. They and Glorfindel could help him.

Elrond gathered his regal clothing which was in the form of heavy robes today and nodded to Glorfindel. "Come with me, I'll explain everything to you on the way."

With that the two elves urgently strode away, both hearts desperate for the little human to be safely within Imladris, but unfortunately this was not the case.

**-6 hours earlier-**

"Estel, are you sure you know where we're going?"

The little boy of seven years old impatiently twisted around and nodded his head vigorously. His tiny stride didn't falter as he raced through a tangle of ferns that were nearly taller than him.

Legolas smiled and inwardly shrugged. A little further wouldn't hurt. As far as he knew, Imladris was a relatively safe place, especially when compared to his home of Mirkwood. He wasn't worried about becoming lost both since he was a sufficient tracker among elves and he was also reasonably familiar with the realm of Rivendell although by now, little Estel probably exceeded his knowledge of the forest.

They had been journeying for a little over an hour now and still the child's enthusiasm had not dimmed the slightest. Estel navigated through the forest as though he knew every twist and turn by heart, and Legolas almost believed that he did, but they had been moving for far too long and Estel was only seven after all.

It had started that morning when Estel had eagerly promised to take him somewhere "secret" and very "special." Knowing that the troubles Mirkwood was experiencing would force him to return home soon, and having no desire whatsoever to disappoint his exuberant young friend, even though he was forced to turn down a hunting trip with Elladan and Elrohir, Legolas agreed to go with Estel to this "secret" place and after waiting until noon to leave, they had been walking ever since.

Now Legolas was really beginning to wonder where they were going and was questioning whether or not Estel knew himself. It suddenly occurred to him that he could no longer catch sight of the boy's tousled brown haired head bobbing in front and with a jolt of panic he lengthened his stride although he couldn't recall falling behind.

"Estel," he called, slight panic flairing in his chest as he realized that the boy was no where to be seen. "Estel!"

Suddenly an object collided with his lower legs with such force that he stumbled and tipped to the side. As his body hit the ground, he glanced over to see Estel sprawled over his legs, grinning gleefully. Initial relief poured through Legolas and then he laughed softly at the child's obvious delight and pleasure. Estel laughed too and enthusiastically told his account of how he had hid and waited for Legolas to come so he could tackle him.

As they picked themselves off of the ground, Estel took Legolas's hand and the elf was forced to lean forward slightly, due to the differencing heights. Estel looked at him with wide silver eyes. "We're almost there," He promised in a solemn whisper.

The elf and the young human walked slowly through the thinning forest until they came upon a steep ditch situated on the side of a daunting rock cliff with an assortment of boulders as large as horses jumbled within the trench. By the grip that Estel had on his hand Legolas could tell that they had finally made it to their destination.

Estel quickly released his hand and scampered up the side of a large rock jutting out of the ditch. "We're here," he proclaimed excitedly.

Legolas smiled. "This is incredible, Estel," He said as he walked over to the boy. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Come see the best part!" Estel exclaimed as he slid off of the rock.

Legolas easily leapt onto the stone Estel had previously been perched on and touched lightly to the ground in the ditch. He squeezed between two other large boulders and rounded the side of the stone to see Estel standing at the mouth of an ink black cave yawning from the side of the rock cliff.

Surprised, he quickly closed the distance between the boy and himself.

"It's a cave," Estel breathed, his eyes dancing with excitement.

Legolas peered into the darkness, his elven eyes not even able to discern objects beyond in the blackness. Something bothered him about the cave. Concealed in a ditch and shielded from sight by large boulders that had presumably fallen in a rockslide, it was just too secret. Turning away from the mouth of the cave, he carefully scanned the surrounding land for a sign that anyone else had been here.

Estel was watching him intently. "What is it?" The boy asked; his perceptiveness heightened more than any human child's should be.

Legolas returned his gaze to the boy and offered a comforting smile. "It's nothing," he muttered.

Estel began to enter the mouth of the cave but Legolas stepped forward and gripped the boy's small hand.

"Estel," he began, "Have you ever been inside before?"

Estel nodded, his eyes bright but clouded with slight confusion as to why Legolas had stopped him.

"Have Elladan and Elrohir been inside with you?"

"Yes. We were sitting on the rocks and then I found the cave."

"When was the last time you were here?"

A frowned creased Estel's face. "I'm not sure. Maybe awhile," he admitted.

Legolas slowly digested this information. Obviously the last visit had to have been recent or else Estel never would have remembered the way here.

"Can we go now?" Estel begged.

Legolas hesitantly nodded, giving in to his better judgment. Estel let out a small squeak of excitement and rushed forward before Legolas could stop him.

"Estel!"

Legolas hurried in after the child, squinting through the pitch black darkness. After only a few moments, his eyes adjusted from the bright sunlight outside and he was able to distinguish objects originally veiled by the shadows of the cave.

The cave appeared to be a tunnel, its path twisting and squirming much like the movement of a snake. Rough and jagged looking rock walls loomed on either side of the path and within the shadows, large stones and crevices dotted the edges of the walls.

Typically, this cave was no more out of the ordinary than the others Legolas had visited before in his life. He let himself relax more and tried to concentrate on where Estel was. He could hear the footsteps of the young boy echoing through the tunnel somewhere in front of him.

Feeling an underlying notion of responsibility for the future king of Gondor, Legolas hurried forward but if not for the small rock that caused him to stumble and reach out to a stone for support, the elven prince might never have noticed the blood crusted scimitar lying guiltily on the rock. Legolas righted himself, horror flooding through him as he took in the orc weapon placed so casually on the rock. His eyes flew to the ground and he distinguished many heavy footsteps treaded into the earth.

Orcs were using this tunnel. And Estel was somewhere by himself at the mercy of dozens of orcs if they hadn't already found him. Legolas burst ahead into the darkness, his feet flying over the ground soundlessly.

It seemed like a nightmare. The further he ran the most desperate he became because there was no sign of Estel. He could no longer hear the boy and each twist and turn within the tunnel drew him closer to the orcs. This was no place to fight the monsters. They had countless advantages including their number, multitude of weapons and the lack of obligation to protect a small child from harm. Besides, a cave which caused Legolas to feel all but blind was not as much of a concern to these nearly nocturnal beasts that were born within the festering darkness of caves and the ever-growing shadow of Mordor.

As he plunged through the endless turns of the tunnel it began to branch into different forks and paths. He kept to the main one, desperately hoping that Estel had as well. A sudden rush of footsteps sounded ahead of him in the tunnel and by the heaviness and mass of the steps, he knew that it was the orcs. Terror clouded his head, barely allowing him to think clearly-never had Legolas remembered feeling more panicked.

He quickened his own steps and an unexpected plunging twist almost caused him to crash into Estel who was rooted to the ground with fear. Legolas caught one sight of the look of alarm in the boy's wide eyes and knew that the he had also heard the orcs footsteps. Relief barely had time to catch up with the elven prince before the footfalls of the orcs sounded even closer with thunderous proximity.

Without hesitation, Legolas lunged at Estel, dragging him into a shadowy crevice and clamping a hand over the boy's mouth. At that moment, the orcs burst from rounding a corner within the tunnel and loped heavily past them, armor and weapons clanking. Legolas barely breathed as he tried to shrink even further into the shadows while Estel trembled by his side.

He tried to glimpse their faces as they ran by but they were shrouded in shadow and matted black hair. It was a only a matter of time until one smelled an elf and a human and Legolas had already decided to send Estel running for the entrance of the cave while he gave the boy as much time as he could. But the orcs did not pause nor did their steps falter the least bit. Only ten passed but it felt like an eternity since the orcs ran single file due to their imposing stature.

As the last disappeared Legolas cautiously released his hand from Estel's mouth and silently straightened up from his crouch, listening to the sounds of the footsteps fading away into the distance.

Legolas clenched his jaw and stared unseeingly ahead. They were in deep trouble now. An unknown amount of orcs were roaming through the network of tunnels and Legolas had no idea where the tunnels led or how far they stretched. He was barely armed with a mere dagger that he kept for a last resort use at his side and he had to protect Estel from harm.

"Legolas?" A small quavering whimper rose out of the throat of the trembling child.

Legolas jerked, realizing that he had momentarily forgotten the young boy. He kneeled and soothingly wrapped his arms around the little boy in what he hoped was a reassuring hug to the child. "We'll be alright, Estel. I will protect you," he promised fiercely.

Estel returned his embrace, unwilling to let go as tears of fear trickled down his cheeks. After a moment, Legolas gently backed out of the child's hug and held Estel at an arm's length, gazing intently into his frightened gray eyes. "You must promise to do whatever I may ask of you, whether that means to run or hide or-"Legolas swallowed the lump in his throat, "or leave me."

Estel, who had already seen so much in his short life nodded slowly and by the look on his face, Legolas could see that he understood his unspoken words, that if he died or got hurt, Estel would have to abandon him and flee.

"I'm going to bring you home to your brothers and father, Estel," Legolas promised. He straightened to his feet and his blue eyes unwaveringly held the eyes of Estel. "How far have you been in this tunnel before?"

Estel swallowed. "Never this far-only a ways past the entrance."

Legolas grimaced darkly but hastily tried to rearrange his features in order to reassure the boy. "Alright."

He sighed and thought of their options. Either he and Estel should continue into the tunnel in hopes that they could find an alternate exit without running into more orcs, or they doubled back to their original entrance and tried to slip past the orcs that had run by. There were downsides to each alternative. It wasn't possible work out how far the tunnels went and there was a likely chance that they went on for miles more. They were close to the entrance of the cave and Legolas knew how to make it back without becoming lost but then there was the issue of slipping past the orcs...

Agitatedly, Legolas blinked and paced. The longer he took to decide what to do, the more likely it was that their scent would waft towards the orcs. He concentrated again on escaping. Clearly, Estel would have a much better chance of making it back to Imladris if they escaped out of the entrance cave and this was the reason that Legolas finally chose this plan. If all went wrong, at least Estel knew the way back home by himself.

"Ready?" Legolas offered a small smile and grabbed Estel's small hand.

He and the boy started forward gingerly and Legolas strained all of his elven senses in order to obtain the slightest warning that the orcs would reappear. It was deathly silent as they crept through the shadows and to Legolas, their footprints sounded as loud thunder, their breathing like the roar of the wind.

They carefully made their way past each turn and twist through the passages and kept close to the walls of the tunnels. Still, Legolas heard nothing and saw nothing but the end of a rat's tail vanishing into an alcove within the stones. As they walked for what seemed like eternity, Legolas's mind began frantically dissecting the bits and pieces of what he already knew about the orcs and the cave.

Estel said he and the twins had discovered and explored the cave although they hadn't gone very far within it. They supposedly hadn't visited it in awhile and that made sense since Elladan and Elrohir would surely have reported any strange orc activity in the cave. The cave was relatively close to Imladris, well within the borders of the realm. Why hadn't any patrols discovered it? Better question yet, what were the orcs doing here?

Legolas tried to dissuade the inevitable but he found it impossible to simply brush the unavoidable reason for the presence of the orcs away like dust. The orcs were here for one reason and that was most likely to mass their numbers over time and launch a surprise attack on Imladris. Whether they would succeed or not was not important at the moment, only the horror of the prospect.

He tightened his grip on Estel's hand and pulled the child over to large boulder partly blocking the passage. They were close to the entrance now. The entrance of the cave shone in the distance, the bright sunlight like a dazzling jewel. As Estel's eyes began to adjust to the light, the boy instinctively started forward but Legolas held him firmly. He could hear the orcs.

Concentrating, he strained his hearing to detect exactly where the orcs were ahead but the scuffling sounds of feet and creaking leather echoed dimly throughout the tunnels, making it impossible to identify their position. Legolas felt his rigid shoulders relaxed and he crouched back further behind the wall, prepared to wait until he was sure where the orcs were.

Without warning, loud, lumbering footsteps sounded rapidly from behind them. Legolas whipped around in horror and shock as a surprisingly fat orc suddenly swung around the corner of the tunnel and froze in equal surprise. But before the orc could react or even utter the slightest sound of alarm; Legolas had already clamped his hand above Estel's elbow in an iron grasp and was bolting for the entrance of the cave, half carrying, half dragging the young boy. The walls of the tunnel flew by; the glow of sunshine at the entrance yawned wider as the elf and boy made for the exit. Behind them, a furious roar shook the tunnel the cave and as Legolas and Estel shot past a tunnel branching from the main one, orcs surged out like a tide, on their heels and every step bringing them alarmingly closer.

The elf's breath came out in gasps as he put every fiber of his being into moving forward and dragging poor Estel along with him. They were almost there, yet the distance seemed to stretch further and further out in front of them. Suddenly they were outside in the dazzling sunlight, darting between the big boulders as the orcs burst like water from a broken dam out of the cave behind them. Legolas desperately flung Estel onto a boulder and scrambled up himself, not pausing as the orcs drew nearer and nearer.

He carefully tossed Estel over the gap between the rock and the edge of the ditch but as the boy landed, his human balance failed him and he teetered dangerously over the ledge. Legolas lunged for him but a clawed hand suddenly caught him by the foot, destroying his momentum and he watched helplessly as Estel tumbled over the ledge and out of sight.

Instantly he ripped his foot of the orc's grasp and flung himself over to the edge of the rock, leaning down precariously over to Estel. The boy was petrified with fear as silent tears streamed down his face but he had the presence of mind to reach out his hand instantaneously to grasp Legolas's. Legolas gasped and used all of his strength to yank Estel's body upwards just as the orcs swarmed the spot where he had been. As the orcs scuttled over the rock they were perched on, Legolas gripped Estel and leapt over the ditch's gap and onto the land.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, they were flying over it with Estel cradled protectively in his arms. The orcs were quick in pursuit, making up for their slow path over the rocks with their appalling speed on the flat ground. Normally Legolas would have been able to outrun them, being the elven immortal that he was, but now he began to doubt his chances since he was carrying Estel and could not properly pump his arms to run. Clearing his head of any negatives, he focused completely on reaching Imladris before the orcs could catch up with them.

But behind them, the orcs sounded like galloping horses and Legolas knew that they could run nearly as fast. _Don't look back! _He kept telling himself, trying to convince his ears that there wasn't really a dozen orcs behind him, knowing that his eyes would do nothing but prove his ears right.

Ahead of them was the forest and Legolas hurried towards it eagerly, knowing that he would be at a slight advantage since his lithe figure was more suited for the woodland than the large, brutish orcs. Worst case they could hide. They were at his heels though and every second counted now.

With a burst of speed his plunged into the forest, weaving his way wildly between trees as branches and shrubs clawed at his body. The orcs were right behind him and they kept up surprisingly well although it did seem to be slightly more difficult for them to navigate through the forest than it was for Legolas.

Legolas just kept running, like a caged animal freed by mistake. Fatigue crept like lead through his legs and he panted desperately for air. A sudden young voice sounded urgently by his ear. "We're going the wrong way!"

Despair ripped through Legolas but his determination and adrenaline quickly overrode it and he twisted suddenly, but something went wrong in that instant. As he planted his foot to change direction, the ground below his foot disappeared until he felt its presence with a sickening twist and sudden snap, without warning flinging him forward. The instant his body made contact with the ground, Estel was jostled from his arms and they both were raked over the ground, twisting, rolling, and plummeting from the incredible momentum.

With a dull thud, Legolas smashed into a tree trunk and lay there momentarily stunned and winded. He had stepped in a rabbit hole and by the angle of his foot, his ankle was clearly broken. Estel lay sprawled out and battered nearby, his chest moving frantically up and down and looking as though he were hyperventilating.

Legolas groaned in pain and despondency. Within seconds the orcs would be on them and there would be nothing left for them but probably torture and inevitable death. Anger flooded through the elvish prince. He would gladly give his life for young Estel but no, orc torture and death by their hands would not be the fate of this future king.

"Estel, hide!" He hissed through clenched teeth.

Estel's eyes widened and he scrambled awkwardly away and plunged into a bush just as the orcs burst from the trees around them.

Gritting his teeth in anguish, Legolas slowly and painstakingly made his way to his feet. In any situation he would rather die on his feet than on his knees. Pride ran strongly in the line of the Mirkwood royals.

One of the orcs closest to him face twisted into a hideous sneer. "Thought you could get away, elf." It jeered rather triumphantly. "Say," It growled, yellow eyes narrowing, "Where's the human?"

"Yeah," One of the orcs jibed, "He must be around here somewhere, and when we find 'im, we'll play with 'im before we kill him and you can watch. Now where is 'e?" The orc demanded.

Legolas wobbled dizzily as he slowly put weight onto his injured ankle. It was agonizing but what hurt more was the fact that he had no doubt that the orcs would eventually find Estel. He couldn't let that happen, he wouldn't.

"Tell us!" One of the orcs crowded around him, kicked out and struck his broken ankle. Legolas cried out in pain and his dagger hissed through the air. A second later, the orc fell dead to the forest floor.

The dozen orcs assembled around him watched, stunned. But the surprise on their faces quickly drained into looks of absolute ire. With a roar, the first one flung himself forward, scimitar at ready to avenge his kin. Legolas was prepared though and dancing painfully to the side, he slashed out and slit the orcs exposed throat. There was no pause after the kill this time-the orcs were everywhere.

Being the expert that he was with weapons, the elf put up fierce fight despite his immobility. The orcs were shocked to say the least but they quickly took advantage of his greatest weakness and either forced him to put weight on his injured leg or aimed their weapons at it.

Legolas gritted his teeth as an orc carved a mighty swing with his scimitar at his good ankle. He stepped back and his knife darted out as quickly as a snake, raking the orcs eyes and twisting it into its throat. But as he was so hopelessly outnumbered, the inevitable happened and they overwhelmed him once more. Refusing to give up, Legolas spun to the side, feinted to the right and stabbed an orc down. It was a suicide move he knew, and as expected, an orc rightly took the opportunity to slash his exposed side with a blade.

But Legolas was not prepared for the agony as he fell to his knees, clutching at the large cut while blood gushed from it.

From the bushes, a small child watched horrified as his immortal hero fell in defeat to the ground. He was trembling and shaken from the inside out but unexpectedly, an emotion that was rarely felt in his heart began to surface. Estel withdrew further into the bush, feeling the rough leaves brush against his face as he tried to gasp silently for air. Anger began to pump through his veins and he set his jaw determinedly. There must be something he could do to help…

"He's done for!" A remaining orc snarled as he rose from the body of one of their dead kin, brandishing his knife.

"No…wait-" Another clamored. "We can ransom him." The orc turned to his five remaining fellows. "The elf lord of Rivendell would pay an arm and a leg for any of his filthy elves."

"Fool!" The orc who had stabbed Legolas, lunged forward aggressively. "We can't negotiate from the caves. Then all of our hiding and planning will have gone to waste. I say we kill 'im."

"Wait! All of our planning will go to waste if the little brat isn't found!"

The orcs instinctively turned away from Legolas who was still clutched up in agony on the ground. Legolas bit his lip and tried to control his shuddering. He would _not_ become a bartering chip or torture amusement for the orcs. Now was his only chance. Slowly and as inconspicuously as possible, he reached out to grasp a discarded scimitar and as quickly as only an elf was capable of, he swept it in a large arc and succeeded in ripping open the back of two of the orcs' lower legs.

They howled and crumpled to the ground, unable to stand on severed muscles. Rage filled their black eyes and any wish of keeping his life for other purposes burned in the furnace of their hearts. But something unexpected happened then. As the orcs converged on the elf, seconds away from taking his life, a knife whistled through the air and buried itself into the back of an orc, killing it instantly. The two orcs left standing froze and whirled in surprise. What they saw made them sneer and what Legolas saw made his heart sink.

There stood little Estel, his small figure tense, his breathing rapid. In his left hand was a knife.

Despite the fact that he was impressed with the boy's knife throwing skills, Legolas knew that they were both in extreme danger. Two orcs against a wounded elf and a seven year old human was hardly a fair match and Legolas wished that for once, life would be fair, but it wasn't, nothing was fair and that was just the way things were. Black spots swam in front of his eyes and he felt his breathing grow shallow through his sudden dizziness. He was losing too much blood…

The orcs were laughing and jeering at Estel now and despite the roar of adrenaline coursing through the boy's body, it still stung. Estel glanced at Legolas, lying feebly on the ground, crimson blood gushing from his side. The orcs were stalking forward now, their beady black eyes glaring cruelly. Estel's body tensed and he switched the knife to his right hand and took a step back. The orcs laughed at what they thought was fear and inexperience but some things, as we all know, are not as they seem.

Estel was leading them safely away from Legolas, hoping to preserve the wounded. He recalled walking with Glorfindel on a warm summer day outside in the woods as dragon flies zoomed overhead and the path they were walking on was sporadically splashed with sunlight from above… Glorfindel had told him to always take the fight where the wounded were not and where one could press their advantage, which was exactly what Estel intended to do.

His mind racing, Estel racked his brains for any idea or strategy that would help but before he could grip an idea firmly in his mind, something unexpected happened.

There was a whistle, a sickening crunch and then a scream of pain as the orc furthest from Estel collapsed to the ground and lay their unmoving. Estel elongated his startled gaze past the body to where Legolas was crouched, rigid and gasping in pain. The last remaining orc screamed in rage and ran towards Legolas who was now no longer coherent from the expense of blood he had sacrificed to throw the abandoned scimitar at the orc in order to help Estel.

And Estel saw in slow motion what was about to come. He saw the orc reach the elf now curled on the ground in agony and raise the scimitar in its hand and with a might swing; finish what he and his kin had started…

"NO!" The boy screamed and launched himself towards his enemy and his friend. It seemed as though he was moving through deep water, his feet felt so heavy, his muscles refused to respond…

But suddenly he was there adjacent to the orc and plunging his small dagger into the orc's leg. A shrill scream rose in its throat and the scimitar that would have come crashing down on Legolas's neck was wrenched across the elf's shoulder instead as the orc recoiled away from Estel in pain.

"Legolas!" Estel cried as he saw the blood splatter from Legolas's new wound. Legolas made a choked, retching sound and his eyes widened as Estel felt his face snap to the side as something heavy and sharp collided with it and he tumbled hard to the ground, stunned.

The orc roared in fury as it dragged the small dagger out from deep within his thigh and shook his hand, the force of his backhand across the child's face even stinging him a little. Everything was ruined now; all of their hopes and plans, gone. He would kill the child and the elf with his bare hands now. They deserved a slow and painful death and that was just what he would deliver.

Having finally wrenched the knife out from his leg, the orc dropped it and as it clattered to the ground, he didn't even hear the noise. His vision was flickering red, black blood was seeping out of the knife wound and his soul was an indescribable shade of darkness.

The small boy's silver eyes widened as he realized that his death was about to come. He squirmed and fought but made no other move to defend himself as the orcs' hands clamped around his small neck. The boy gasped and sputtered like a beached fish, the light in his eyes beginning to fade. The orc tightened his grip, grinning in pleasure. In a few minutes it would all be over…

In Estel's eyes he saw nearly the same as the orc did, only from a different position. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The corners of his vision were becoming fuzzy. The leering smile over the orc's jagged, yellow teeth was widening… He was losing. There was only one thing that he could possibly do now. And as the orc leaned forward more, about to savor and taste the look of death on his face, Estel pointed his toe, tucked his knee in and then kicked out as hard as he could against the orc's groin.

It screamed in surprise and pain, allowing Estel to wiggle out from underneath its slackening fingers. Estel scrambled away, kicking up leaves and dirt, racing towards the knife that lay abandoned on the ground. The orc was quick to recover and as Estel's hand closed on the bloody dagger, its weight slammed into Estel and everything went black…

* * *

**A/N:** So what did my fantabulous readers think? It's the first time Estel is already showing glimpes of the person he was born to become. Legolas and Aragorn are my favorite characters. Review and tell me what you thought?? ) 


End file.
